Everything You Need To Know About Indian Republic Day 2018

Republic day is a day of pride for all the Indian nationals. As we see the flag unfurl on January 26th every year, our hearts are filled with respect and pride about being an Indian. But I am pretty sure a lot of us Indians are not well-versed with certain facts about the day we celebrate as a National Holiday every year. 

The Republic Day is now remembered as not just the day when our constitution was founded but a showcasing of what the country has achieved and grown to be. This 26th of January on the Republic Day though, all the elements that it is known for remain intact yet there are new formats being introduced. There is a rise in women's participation and the number of leaders invited which makes the celebrations this year a lot more politically driven and empowering. The spectacle is not just to be felt nationally but also worldwide given the confirmed guest list and programmes.

The gazetted holiday is celebrated as a remembrance of the day when India officially adopted its constitution after independence from the colonizers. The 3-day parade which is the highlight of the Republic Day takes place at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in the Indian capital, New Delhi.

Before reading about this year's republic day do update yourself with the 18 Facts About Republic Day Every Indian Should Know

INVITATION TO ALL THE ASEAN LEADERS AS  CHIEF GUESTS

The biggest attraction of the parade every year remains the guest list which is carefully planned and sent out and reveals a lot of the external affairs of the country with fellow nations. This year Modi has sent invites to all the 10 ASEAN countries' leaders all of whom have agreed to mark their presence. This year, 100-odd government agencies took part in the Republic Day parade preparations. This year's parade will see participants not just from the Indian Army, Air Force, Navy, it will see over 700 students across the guest countries performing at the event. 

In his address at the 15th ASEAN-India Summit in Manila, Modi said, "I look forward to a befitting culmination of the commemorative year and receiving you at the India-ASEAN special commemorative summit on January 25, 2018, in New Delhi. The 1.25 billion people of India are keen to welcome the ASEAN leaders as our chief guests at India's 69th Republic Day celebrations. I am committed to working with you to realize our common destiny." He also expressed how important it is now to unite all the nations against the biggest common enemy that is terrorism.

The National celebratory event comes as a diplomatic tool for the ASEAN countries at a time when China is acting progressively aggressive.

It is not very common to have so many leaders at a celebration and not an international summit meet or conference. Besides brandishing India's military muscle, the international relations with these countries clearly point out the need of India to be appreciated as the alternate nation against Chinese adventurism and to make the Indo-ASEAN relations more viable in commercial terms. At the same time, these ten nations could be a strong support for India’s ongoing bid to sit on the UN Security Council.

The 2018 Republic Day celebration is hoping to witness the participation of the heads of state of all 10 ASEAN nations - Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.

This is not the first time that India is hosting leaders to share the patriotic enthusiasm with bilaterial summits or this time multilateral; We have had then US President Barack Obama as the chief guest in 2015, followed by then French President Fracois Hollande in 2016. UAE Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was the chief guest at the parade in 2017.

Don't forget to treat yourself with the wonders Makar Sankranti can bring to your taste buds with A Foodie’s Guide To Makar Sankranti

BSF'S ALL-WOMEN'S BIKERS SET TO SHOWCASE THEIR TALENTS

Midst all the coordinated marches, colorful and culturally rich tableaus and the inspiring speeches, await us this time, the Seema Bhavani.  The bikers group trained by the BSF (Border Security Force) has been making the rounds in circuits for their talented performances before and now, all eyes are set to be on them on this National festival. They are set to showcase their acrobatics and stunts in a yet another first for women on their 350cc Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycles. This remains the most awaited for this year's programme at Rajpath, New Delhi.

The team constitutes women aged between 25-30 belonging to various combat teams of the army, navy, and airforce. The personnel involves women bikers who the team claims to be better than the male team, according to the BSF they trained better and learned faster. This is the first time that the women bikers will participate in the Republic Day parade. The prestigious event continues to be graced with more and more women participants every year and this year especially with so many prominent leaders in the audience, it is only set to get better.

The BSF stunt team showcased a phenomenal spectacle of performance on the national parade in 2015 and was congratulated and appreciated very explicitly by the then US president, Obama who was the chief guest then. This year with their mentors and previous spectators already acclaiming them, this will be one event to watch out for.

REHEARSALS FOR THE 69th Republic Day Parade:

The rehearsals for the Republic Day Parade begin on Tuesday i.e. 23rd January, 2018 at 9:15 am. It starts from Vijay Chowk and ends at Red Fort. All the offices around Rajpath will remain closed till 1 pm. Commuters may also face traffic jams.

Arrangements for the smooth conduct of the parade: 

1) All the roads From Vijay Chowk to India Gate on Rajpath have been closed from Monday 6 pm. Traffic will not be allowed at Rafi Marg, Janpath and Man Singh Road till the parade is over. However, Metro shall remain open for all the commuters. Boarding and de-boarding at Central Secretariat and Udyog Bhawan will not be permitted till 12 noon and Lok Kalyan Marg and Patel Chowk from 8:45 a.m. to 12 noon Tuesday.